Masterful Trickery

XVIII. Beautiful Intrusion

Three years ago...

Ralph's brows rose with both surprise and suspicion when Lady in Blue slowly turned and started walking. She walked in a slow pace, one that told him he ought to follow.

Since he was still blocking the path, she went to a stone bench where she gracefully settled.

He looked over his shoulder and calculated the distance from the bench and the pathway. Surely she would not be fast enough to escape?

Coming down to a fast decision, Ralph turned and followed her to the bench but did not take a seat. Instead he stood before her with a curious smile.

"Now, since you do not wish to tell me your name, I hope you could provide me with an answer to another question."

Lady in Blue simply shrugged.

"Where did you meet my sisters?" he asked. "They have been to countless balls in Wickhurst but I have not seen you in any of them. And I would have surely heard of you from the other men in attendance to any of the balls, should you have been present." Hanging his head to the side while looking at her amused expression, Ralph concluded, "Thus they did not make your acquaintance here." She nodded. Ah, finally they were getting somewhere. "The Theobalds, perhaps?" He shook his head before she could. "No, impossible. I would have known of it." He took a step closer. "Where?"

Her dark grey eyes twinkled in the darkness. "Blucksley."

*****

The silence between Emma and Ysabella had been lasting for quite some time. Both women were very much fretful over Nicholas' disappearance. Their brother had never been the same since Sophia was abducted and they both feared, although they never voiced it out loud, that the Nicholas they knew might never come back.

And other things seemed to be evolving outside their knowledge. It was a great surprise to find Alex in Ralph's residence. Their brother and Alex did not relay much information, only that Alex was being targeted and that he was protecting her.

"I am quite certain she is not his mistress," Emma said, breaking the silence.

"As am I," Ysabella agreed. "It is very unlikely that something could sprout between them. For goodness' sake, he is a Guard."

"And she a bandit," Emma said, nodding her head. "She would have his head in a snap of a finger."

Ysabella reached for her cup of tea. Before she took a sip, she murmured to Emma, "You are frowning, sister. What is on your mind?"

Emma shifted in her seat. "Something is going on that we are not privy to, Ysa."

Ysabella set down her cup and straightened in her chair. "Well, I am not as proficient as you are in developing conspiracy theories and harvesting clues, Em, but I do admit that I have been quite curious myself." She looked around the parlor to check for any signs of their mother anywhere within earshot before she leaned over and whispered, "The brothers have been keeping in contact too frequently and with earnest. And I believe Maggie is aware of everything."

Emma sighed and groaned. "Ah, how I miss the days when I was merely building up theories about Mr. Jones!"

Ysabella nodded. "And I miss the days when we were the only problems of everyone else."

They both chuckled, reminiscing memories of their younger days.

"By the by," Ysabella said, a new profound glitter of wickedness in her eyes, "What do you say to a match between a Guard and a bandit?"